Western High School Boundary Map options (A/B/C/D)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it is not crossfield issue then, it is Franklin Farm issue.

Franklin Farm does not need to persuade anybody else that they want to go to KAA because of a shorter commute.

Franklin farm just needs to figure out what your whole community needs.

I'm a Franklin Farm resident. My neighbors need to get a grip. Western HS/KAA is going to be a dream school.

The only thing that might be crappy is for elite athletes who could be Varsity starters all four years of high school but who might not have access to Varsity-level sports at the new school in the first year or two.

Otherwise, it's a dream! New schools often draw top talent with regard to teachers and admin, the resources (e.g., robotics lab, ceramics lab, pool, and auditorium) available are top-tier, and the commute is significantly less scary for a teen driver.

Oakton has been great, as has Chantilly for the other side of Franklin Farm. I'm sure Western/KAA will be just as good.

Academy-wise, the best Western HS could do is perform close to Chantilly. I don't see Western HS coming out of the gate (next 10 years) and getting even close to Oakton level. There is no incentive for Oakton people to leave an excellent school and go to an unknown.

I see there are gains from quality of education for Fox Mills moving to Western HS. Let's go Option B.

I'm so confused about what is just sooooo amazing about Oakton. Please share.

#6 in Virginia High Schools (660+ public and 300 private)
#9 in Washington, DC Metro Area High Schools (64 metropolitan DC HS)
#4 in Fairfax County Public Schools High Schools (FCPS has 30 HS)

So, you basically have one of the top high schools in the area. It's number 3 in FCPS if you don't count the crown jewel of the DC area, Thomas Jefferson which is a govenor's school. If given the option, why wouldn't you want to attend a top high school? Generally top high schools have a combination of a high performing student body coupled with outstanding teachers. This combination pushes the students to achieve higher and provides additonal opportunites for excellence.

To downplay it means you're either unaware of its excellence, or your kids are mediorcre.

Oh sweetie, you just had to put a nasty insult in there, didn’t you?

Do you know why good schools are highly rated? Because of their populations. I guarantee your brilliant genius snowflake child will be just as successful at KAA as they would be at Oakton.

Yes, my child is fairly average in test scores, but she’s not an entitled little twat like yours is, which I think is a huge win.

Not with the limited activities. If you don't have established programs or you have to compete against kids from you base high school, your kid might not be as successful. Dr. Reid already indicated that this would be how various sports and after school programs would be handled until a full 4 year contingent of students was present. Actually if they had the opportunity at KAA for kids to be on varsity or the various club presidents and the like to build a college resume as a 9th or 10th grader it would be awesome, but it's not the case.

Also the comment was in response to someone asking why Oakton was so great. If you're unaware of the ranking, then you might not live in the area, might not be a type of person who seeks out challenging and competitive environments for your kids to succeed in. To be honest people who don't prioritize academics, tend not to be highly competive academically, which by definition is mediocre.

Demanding high standards and having high expectations is what we all should strive for. If you're happy with less more power to you.

\
Nope, nope, nope. You are picking out only one small piece of what she said. She SPECIFICALLY said that if the staff and the kids at the school want to build active clubs and extracurricular, they can and will do it. So maybe not sports (but your kid can do varsity at their base school those two years if they are such a prodigy), but theater, robotics, etc., those kids will make those things happen, and it's a great opportunity for freshman and sophomores to become leaders, and they wouldn't have those opportunities at Oakton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it is not crossfield issue then, it is Franklin Farm issue.

Franklin Farm does not need to persuade anybody else that they want to go to KAA because of a shorter commute.

Franklin farm just needs to figure out what your whole community needs.

I'm a Franklin Farm resident. My neighbors need to get a grip. Western HS/KAA is going to be a dream school.

The only thing that might be crappy is for elite athletes who could be Varsity starters all four years of high school but who might not have access to Varsity-level sports at the new school in the first year or two.

Otherwise, it's a dream! New schools often draw top talent with regard to teachers and admin, the resources (e.g., robotics lab, ceramics lab, pool, and auditorium) available are top-tier, and the commute is significantly less scary for a teen driver.

Oakton has been great, as has Chantilly for the other side of Franklin Farm. I'm sure Western/KAA will be just as good.

Academy-wise, the best Western HS could do is perform close to Chantilly. I don't see Western HS coming out of the gate (next 10 years) and getting even close to Oakton level. There is no incentive for Oakton people to leave an excellent school and go to an unknown.

I see there are gains from quality of education for Fox Mills moving to Western HS. Let's go Option B.

I'm so confused about what is just sooooo amazing about Oakton. Please share.

#6 in Virginia High Schools (660+ public and 300 private)
#9 in Washington, DC Metro Area High Schools (64 metropolitan DC HS)
#4 in Fairfax County Public Schools High Schools (FCPS has 30 HS)

So, you basically have one of the top high schools in the area. It's number 3 in FCPS if you don't count the crown jewel of the DC area, Thomas Jefferson which is a govenor's school. If given the option, why wouldn't you want to attend a top high school? Generally top high schools have a combination of a high performing student body coupled with outstanding teachers. This combination pushes the students to achieve higher and provides additonal opportunites for excellence.

To downplay it means you're either unaware of its excellence, or your kids are mediorcre.

Oh sweetie, you just had to put a nasty insult in there, didn’t you?

Do you know why good schools are highly rated? Because of their populations. I guarantee your brilliant genius snowflake child will be just as successful at KAA as they would be at Oakton.

Yes, my child is fairly average in test scores, but she’s not an entitled little twat like yours is, which I think is a huge win.

Not with the limited activities. If you don't have established programs or you have to compete against kids from you base high school, your kid might not be as successful. Dr. Reid already indicated that this would be how various sports and after school programs would be handled until a full 4 year contingent of students was present. Actually if they had the opportunity at KAA for kids to be on varsity or the various club presidents and the like to build a college resume as a 9th or 10th grader it would be awesome, but it's not the case.

Also the comment was in response to someone asking why Oakton was so great. If you're unaware of the ranking, then you might not live in the area, might not be a type of person who seeks out challenging and competitive environments for your kids to succeed in. To be honest people who don't prioritize academics, tend not to be highly competive academically, which by definition is mediocre.

Demanding high standards and having high expectations is what we all should strive for. If you're happy with less more power to you.

The first two years are opt in, so your child doesn't have to go to the new school. By the third year, clubs, band, sports, theatre and the like will be in place. Carson has a strong group of STEM students, you can count on math teams/clubs, science teams/clubs and the like to be in place pretty quickly. Current 6th graders will be walking into a school with programs that are starting to be established and the school has said you can opt out, so pupil place to Oakton and provide your own transportation.

I would guess that the clubs will look very similar to what is at Oakton since there are plenty of STEM kids from Carson, or do you think that the STEM kids from Carson only go to TJ and Oakton?

I'm a Crossfield parent who wants my children to go to KAA. Your post highlights one thing that I don't understand about the pro-Oakton families. They are the SAME ones who go on and on about how Carson is the best middle school in Fairfax County, provides the best opportunities for their children, blah blah. KAA is going to have almost ALL the same kids from Carson. Do you know what that means? It means KAA is going to become one of the best high schools in Fairfax County. For the same reasons that Carson is great - it's going to have the same focus on STEM (even as a traditional high school), the same high achieving kids and the same proactive parents.

Parents like PP can’t stand the idea that Navy AAP kids who started at Navy would get to go to Oakton while hers wouldn’t. She sees those Navy kids as her child’s true peers. You have to understand the superiority complex held by certain Navy AAP parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it is not crossfield issue then, it is Franklin Farm issue.

Franklin Farm does not need to persuade anybody else that they want to go to KAA because of a shorter commute.

Franklin farm just needs to figure out what your whole community needs.

I'm a Franklin Farm resident. My neighbors need to get a grip. Western HS/KAA is going to be a dream school.

The only thing that might be crappy is for elite athletes who could be Varsity starters all four years of high school but who might not have access to Varsity-level sports at the new school in the first year or two.

Otherwise, it's a dream! New schools often draw top talent with regard to teachers and admin, the resources (e.g., robotics lab, ceramics lab, pool, and auditorium) available are top-tier, and the commute is significantly less scary for a teen driver.

Oakton has been great, as has Chantilly for the other side of Franklin Farm. I'm sure Western/KAA will be just as good.

Academy-wise, the best Western HS could do is perform close to Chantilly. I don't see Western HS coming out of the gate (next 10 years) and getting even close to Oakton level. There is no incentive for Oakton people to leave an excellent school and go to an unknown.

I see there are gains from quality of education for Fox Mills moving to Western HS. Let's go Option B.

I'm so confused about what is just sooooo amazing about Oakton. Please share.

#6 in Virginia High Schools (660+ public and 300 private)
#9 in Washington, DC Metro Area High Schools (64 metropolitan DC HS)
#4 in Fairfax County Public Schools High Schools (FCPS has 30 HS)

So, you basically have one of the top high schools in the area. It's number 3 in FCPS if you don't count the crown jewel of the DC area, Thomas Jefferson which is a govenor's school. If given the option, why wouldn't you want to attend a top high school? Generally top high schools have a combination of a high performing student body coupled with outstanding teachers. This combination pushes the students to achieve higher and provides additonal opportunites for excellence.

To downplay it means you're either unaware of its excellence, or your kids are mediorcre.

Oh sweetie, you just had to put a nasty insult in there, didn’t you?

Do you know why good schools are highly rated? Because of their populations. I guarantee your brilliant genius snowflake child will be just as successful at KAA as they would be at Oakton.

Yes, my child is fairly average in test scores, but she’s not an entitled little twat like yours is, which I think is a huge win.

Not with the limited activities. If you don't have established programs or you have to compete against kids from you base high school, your kid might not be as successful. Dr. Reid already indicated that this would be how various sports and after school programs would be handled until a full 4 year contingent of students was present. Actually if they had the opportunity at KAA for kids to be on varsity or the various club presidents and the like to build a college resume as a 9th or 10th grader it would be awesome, but it's not the case.

Also the comment was in response to someone asking why Oakton was so great. If you're unaware of the ranking, then you might not live in the area, might not be a type of person who seeks out challenging and competitive environments for your kids to succeed in. To be honest people who don't prioritize academics, tend not to be highly competive academically, which by definition is mediocre.

Demanding high standards and having high expectations is what we all should strive for. If you're happy with less more power to you.

The first two years are opt in, so your child doesn't have to go to the new school. By the third year, clubs, band, sports, theatre and the like will be in place. Carson has a strong group of STEM students, you can count on math teams/clubs, science teams/clubs and the like to be in place pretty quickly. Current 6th graders will be walking into a school with programs that are starting to be established and the school has said you can opt out, so pupil place to Oakton and provide your own transportation.

I would guess that the clubs will look very similar to what is at Oakton since there are plenty of STEM kids from Carson, or do you think that the STEM kids from Carson only go to TJ and Oakton?

I'm a Crossfield parent who wants my children to go to KAA. Your post highlights one thing that I don't understand about the pro-Oakton families. They are the SAME ones who go on and on about how Carson is the best middle school in Fairfax County, provides the best opportunities for their children, blah blah. KAA is going to have almost ALL the same kids from Carson. Do you know what that means? It means KAA is going to become one of the best high schools in Fairfax County. For the same reasons that Carson is great - it's going to have the same focus on STEM (even as a traditional high school), the same high achieving kids and the same proactive parents.

Parents like PP can’t stand the idea that Navy AAP kids who started at Navy would get to go to Oakton while hers wouldn’t. She sees those Navy kids as her child’s true peers. You have to understand the superiority complex held by certain Navy AAP parents.

IME, it’s best to attend a HS where Navy kid won’t be at eventually. That’s why we are so happy to NOT be at Oakton!

[Anonymous]

It doesn't matter what any of you think. Thanks to last night, the school board will do whatever it likes. So you might as well save your breath.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't matter what any of you think. Thanks to last night, the school board will do whatever it likes. So you might as well save your breath.

Last night's election had nothing to do with the boundary review. Bonds traditionally pass at a high percentage. There were no school board members on the ballot. There was 0 chance that the dems didn't sweep the elections. Everyone knew that.

[Anonymous]

Just curious.

I get why some Crossfield parents want to stay at Oakton despite the long commute.

I also get why some other Crossfield parents who want to move are upset at them as they'd rather move to KAA and cut the long commute.

What I don’t understand is why some non Crossfield parents are upset at the Crossfield parents who fight to stay.

Is it because of some “equity” issue? Or is it because their kids are going to KAA and they want to make sure wealthy Crossfield kids join them?

Somebody mentioned tax dollars used for longer bus rides, but that just seems like a really weak reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just curious.

I get why some Crossfield parents want to stay at Oakton despite the long commute.

I also get why some other Crossfield parents who want to move are upset at them as they'd rather move to KAA and cut the long commute.

What I don’t understand is why some non Crossfield parents are upset at the Crossfield parents who fight to stay.

Is it because of some “equity” issue? Or is it because their kids are going to KAA and they want to make sure wealthy Crossfield kids join them?

Somebody mentioned tax dollars used for longer bus rides, but that just seems like a really weak reason.

I doubt that the school board will create a split feeder so the people who are loudly fighting to stay at Oakton are effectively impacting the outcome of the families who want to move. I think that the bigger issue is that the Oakton families are claiming to speak for the majority and it is not clear that they do.

As a non-Crossfield family, I don't care. The argument that Oakton is so amazing, and the new school is not going to be good enough is off putting. There is a difference in saying "We don't like the lack of activities at a brand-new school and want to opt out while that is happening" and saying "The new school will never be good enough because Oakton is so awesome", which labels the new school as inferior before it even opens. To be frank, most of the arguments have been kind of elitist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just curious.

I get why some Crossfield parents want to stay at Oakton despite the long commute.

I also get why some other Crossfield parents who want to move are upset at them as they'd rather move to KAA and cut the long commute.

What I don’t understand is why some non Crossfield parents are upset at the Crossfield parents who fight to stay.

Is it because of some “equity” issue? Or is it because their kids are going to KAA and they want to make sure wealthy Crossfield kids join them?

Somebody mentioned tax dollars used for longer bus rides, but that just seems like a really weak reason.

I doubt that the school board will create a split feeder so the people who are loudly fighting to stay at Oakton are effectively impacting the outcome of the families who want to move. I think that the bigger issue is that the Oakton families are claiming to speak for the majority and it is not clear that they do.

As a non-Crossfield family, I don't care. The argument that Oakton is so amazing, and the new school is not going to be good enough is off putting. There is a difference in saying "We don't like the lack of activities at a brand-new school and want to opt out while that is happening" and saying "The new school will never be good enough because Oakton is so awesome", which labels the new school as inferior before it even opens. To be frank, most of the arguments have been kind of elitist.

This is it in a nutshell. Many of the people fighting to stay at Oakton (and South Lakes, for that matter) and the people who would rather move to the new school live in the same neighborhoods. So their fates are tied together. And people with younger kids are frustrated that families with older kids (who will have a choice anyway) are going to deny the younger kids the chance to go to a closer school and open up further uncertainty when other nearby schools end up overcrowded in a few years.

There is definitely a tinge of elitism in the Oakton families fighting to stay, whether they want to admit that or not. Some of them do outright admit it in private conversations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just curious.

I get why some Crossfield parents want to stay at Oakton despite the long commute.

I also get why some other Crossfield parents who want to move are upset at them as they'd rather move to KAA and cut the long commute.

What I don’t understand is why some non Crossfield parents are upset at the Crossfield parents who fight to stay.

Is it because of some “equity” issue? Or is it because their kids are going to KAA and they want to make sure wealthy Crossfield kids join them?

Somebody mentioned tax dollars used for longer bus rides, but that just seems like a really weak reason.

I doubt that the school board will create a split feeder so the people who are loudly fighting to stay at Oakton are effectively impacting the outcome of the families who want to move. I think that the bigger issue is that the Oakton families are claiming to speak for the majority and it is not clear that they do.

As a non-Crossfield family, I don't care. The argument that Oakton is so amazing, and the new school is not going to be good enough is off putting. There is a difference in saying "We don't like the lack of activities at a brand-new school and want to opt out while that is happening" and saying "The new school will never be good enough because Oakton is so awesome", which labels the new school as inferior before it even opens. To be frank, most of the arguments have been kind of elitist.

Good summary.

It doesn't make sense when there is a new school close by instead of busing the distance to Oakton. All over Fairfax County, families will be moved for reasons that don't make sense. Moving Franklin Farm/Crossfield to the new school is logical and makes good sense. The only reason they have given is that they like Oakton. There is no other reason cited.

[Anonymous]

Are you from SLHS, Westfield, or are you from Chantilly. Which one of the school is better than Oakton?

One thing for sure is that your kids is going to KAA and you are upset to hear that KAA can not be better than Oakton.

I think you are expecting a KAA to be the only top tier school in west part of fcps. The only way KAA can be the top tier is to become a magnet school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you from SLHS, Westfield, or are you from Chantilly. Which one of the school is better than Oakton?

One thing for sure is that your kids is going to KAA and you are upset to hear that KAA can not be better than Oakton.

I think you are expecting a KAA to be the only top tier school in west part of fcps. The only way KAA can be the top tier is to become a magnet school.

If being guaranteed a top tier school is so important to you, you need to pay for private school. That's how this works. You can advocate for what you want, but you are not entitled to any particular school regardless of how much your home cost or when you purchased it.

People like you are why this area sucks.

[Anonymous]

You should love this area because it is this area that give you higher paid job and better education opportunity for your kids that you would not get otherwise from other area.

If you still hate this area, people always have choice to pick a area they enjoy to stay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just curious.

I get why some Crossfield parents want to stay at Oakton despite the long commute.

I also get why some other Crossfield parents who want to move are upset at them as they'd rather move to KAA and cut the long commute.

What I don’t understand is why some non Crossfield parents are upset at the Crossfield parents who fight to stay.

Is it because of some “equity” issue? Or is it because their kids are going to KAA and they want to make sure wealthy Crossfield kids join them?

Somebody mentioned tax dollars used for longer bus rides, but that just seems like a really weak reason.

I doubt that the school board will create a split feeder so the people who are loudly fighting to stay at Oakton are effectively impacting the outcome of the families who want to move. I think that the bigger issue is that the Oakton families are claiming to speak for the majority and it is not clear that they do.

As a non-Crossfield family, I don't care. The argument that Oakton is so amazing, and the new school is not going to be good enough is off putting. There is a difference in saying "We don't like the lack of activities at a brand-new school and want to opt out while that is happening" and saying "The new school will never be good enough because Oakton is so awesome", which labels the new school as inferior before it even opens. To be frank, most of the arguments have been kind of elitist.

Makes sense.

To be honest, I’d rather let these elitist people stay at Oakton so that I don’t have to see them at the new school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you from SLHS, Westfield, or are you from Chantilly. Which one of the school is better than Oakton?

One thing for sure is that your kids is going to KAA and you are upset to hear that KAA can not be better than Oakton.

I think you are expecting a KAA to be the only top tier school in west part of fcps. The only way KAA can be the top tier is to become a magnet school.

Oakton produces good test scores but that's merely a function of the SES status of the school. The education and curriculum itself is comparable to that found in the other FCPS high schools. I don't understand this profound attachment to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just curious.

I get why some Crossfield parents want to stay at Oakton despite the long commute.

I also get why some other Crossfield parents who want to move are upset at them as they'd rather move to KAA and cut the long commute.

What I don’t understand is why some non Crossfield parents are upset at the Crossfield parents who fight to stay.

Is it because of some “equity” issue? Or is it because their kids are going to KAA and they want to make sure wealthy Crossfield kids join them?

Somebody mentioned tax dollars used for longer bus rides, but that just seems like a really weak reason.

I doubt that the school board will create a split feeder so the people who are loudly fighting to stay at Oakton are effectively impacting the outcome of the families who want to move. I think that the bigger issue is that the Oakton families are claiming to speak for the majority and it is not clear that they do.

As a non-Crossfield family, I don't care. The argument that Oakton is so amazing, and the new school is not going to be good enough is off putting. There is a difference in saying "We don't like the lack of activities at a brand-new school and want to opt out while that is happening" and saying "The new school will never be good enough because Oakton is so awesome", which labels the new school as inferior before it even opens. To be frank, most of the arguments have been kind of elitist.

Makes sense.

To be honest, I’d rather let these elitist people stay at Oakton so that I don’t have to see them at the new school.

I couldn't agree more.